UGGs: A new breed of ugly
This should come as no shock to anyone: I. Hate. UGGs.
It’s not even so much that they’re ugly (they are, don’t get me wrong)… It’s more about how people wear them, and where.
They were first popularized here in North America thanks to our fashion-blind celebrities. Not that this article is about taking a page out of Hollywood’s book, but since when was following all the trends of Hollywood ever a good idea?
By the looks of these boots, you’d expect them to be really popular in places so cold your blood actually freezes – Like the hell-bound province of Alberta, for example. However, a closer looks reveals that these boots are seemingly more popular in areas where there is no apparent need for them – ie. areas that feature moderate to hot temperatures.
They were all the rage in LA once upon a time ago. Los Angeles. Does anyone even remember the last time that city saw snow? Or cold weather? Come on now people. Just the thought of furry boots in 100 degree weather makes me want to cry, never mind the fact that they’re often coupled with miniskirts and dresses.
Even though they allegedly keep your feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer, they are WINTER BOOTS. Just like normal people don’t wear flip flops when on a snowy day, likewise, the majority of the normal population does not wear sheepskin winter boots to the beach on a 100 degree summer day. It just shouldn’t happen. Ever.
Apparently, this is a concept the advertisers at UGG have not yet grasped. Without further ado, I present to you a real image featured on their website:
I’m not even sure where to start, but I think the fact that this girl is wearing CLOSED SHOES AT THE BEACH would be a good place.
Nobody wears closed shoes to the beach. Maybe if you’re at the beach when it’s raining, or anytime outside of the summer months, but the fact that this girl is wearing a string bikini strongly hints at the fact that:
1) IT IS NOT RAINING
2) IT IS SUMMER
Please, for the love of all things, TAKE THEM OFF. I don’t care if they’re comfortable, or if they keep your feet cool. CLOSED SHOES (let alone BOOTS) do not belong anywhere near the beach during peak season. Flip flops are comfortable. Sandals are comfortable. There are many, many summer shoes out there that are comfortable – UGGs are not among those ranks, despite what some may say.
Before I let this issue die much like I wish these boots would die, I have to cover one more thing: FUGGs and rainy weather.
When UGGs first became popular here in Vancouver, it was only a matter of time until cheap rip-offs surfaced. Normally I have no problem with rip-offs. What I do have a problem with, however, is rain stained FUGGs—the result of cheap material mixing with the kind of weather we get here 90% of the time: rain.
If you cannot afford UGGs or UGG lookalikes that don’t start turning blue at the first sign of rain, please, for the love all things – DO NOT WEAR YOUR FAUX FUGGS IN THE RAIN. Or at least spray them. Just do something. They’re already hideous as is, especially when you’re wearing them so inappropriately. Don’t make it worse.
I totally agree….UGG’s should be banned from this Country….and Canada!
September 14th, 2007 at 9:43 pmI too have hated these things from day one.
September 20th, 2007 at 10:11 amSo that is what UGGs are! I always hear about that brand of boots in websites or on television but I never actually saw what it looked like until I saw your article. I do agree that those boots look ugly! I do not understand how someone could wear that (especially in a hot place like LA) without feeling stupid. And the poor ol’ animal that died for that boot….
September 28th, 2007 at 1:56 pmi love uggs!! all u people are just sad lowlives with nothing better to do than critisise peoples footwear!
so what if some of us wear uggs when it is sunny!
you guys probably wear flip flops when it’s raining!
February 15th, 2008 at 3:45 ami LOVE uGGs
February 15th, 2008 at 10:01 amYeah livvy is right u ppl r lowlives u have nothing better to do than dog on ppls shoes really r u kidding me *** if u don like uggs dont buy them no one is forcing u to so just shut up and do somthing usefull LOZERS
February 26th, 2008 at 6:52 pmHaaii, Ik heb zelf uggs 2 paar, ze zitten gewoon geweldig & zijn koel dus tsjaa, zeur niet als je het niet leuk vind dan koop je ze niet of kijk je er toch niet na! omg, beetje zielig..
February 27th, 2008 at 3:39 amThe reason why that woman is wearing uggs on the beach is becasue that is what they were made for. They were orginally made for surffers. Maybe you should do a little background check before you criticize something.
Reply: I did know that, thank you – and I did do a little “background check” before I wrote this. :P Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that sheepskin boots belong nowhere near the beach. Ever.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:27 pmACTUALLY UGGS KEEP YOUR FEET WARM IN THE WINTER, AND COOL IN THE SUMMER! EVEN LOOK ON THE OFFICIAL UGG SITE, AND I HAVE A PAIR AND I (AND MY FRIENDS) THINK THEY ARE AMAZING BOOTS!
March 7th, 2008 at 5:14 pmFirst of all to “livvy” or w.e your name is,you should learn how to spell right and to melissa too before you start talking mess. i agree that the ugg boots are ugly and stupid to be worn in the summer time or w/a miniskirt or dress which a lot of dumb girls do wear. Boots are made for the winter time,in the winter time it is cold, so if its cold dont wear something that is showing the rest of your body…and who the h*** would wear boots at a beach??!!!! i have never seen that in my life and whoever does that deserves to get smacked!!
March 19th, 2008 at 7:17 amyall are just lasers if you dont like uggs keep it to your self instead of makin up a bunch of crap you lowlives I personally Love uggs and who carez if ya where uggs to the beach where i live people where uggs in shorta or skirts WHO CARES!!!!!!! so just stop tryin to make people believe that uggs are bad and let them think for themselves
March 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 amHmmn welll wanna no what i think …i think that you are all just jealouse because i have many uggs and most(POPULAR) people like them!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:17 amya they are soooo jelouse its sad!!!!
March 25th, 2008 at 9:19 amwhatever your just jelous because you carn’t afford them!!!
March 27th, 2008 at 8:29 amsome of you actually must be joking. “most (POPULAR) people like them!” and “whatever your just jelous because you carn’t afford them!!!”
i, for one, could care less what you wear on your feet, where you wear it and how much it cost. if you wanna wear sheepskin boots to the beach go right ahead. but just because i don’t, does not make me “jelous” or unable to afford them. and implying this really emphasizes how shallow and materialistic some of you can be.
at least all you “popular” people can collectively look like idiots with boots on the beach.
AND FOR GOD’S SAKE learn to spell if you gonna post on a public forum. kthnks.
March 30th, 2008 at 9:37 amThey ONLY look good with jeans.
I mean who wears uggs with a swimsute????????
April 10th, 2008 at 6:11 pmyou are very very stupid
April 21st, 2008 at 9:47 amdid you read a story off uggs?
you don’t even know it
surfers in australia started to wear it
fit don’t get hot when it’s summer
and don’t get cold when it’s snow
you may just try to wear it and you’ll like it
first off no one asked for your opinion.
April 22nd, 2008 at 3:59 pmsecond get over it cus if you dont like them that dosent mean for you to go bitch about them.
third if you dont like them then dont stress over them
or maybe its just that you cant afford them so your hating on people who can.
fourth and last get a f***ing life and stop bitching on something is not even worth stressing over GET A LIFE!!!! and i bet you bitch ass is “FUGGLY” any way
I. HATE. UGGS.
People wear them in the weirdest combinations of clothing. I live in San Diego, CA. It is ANNOYING to see EVERYONE wear UGGS. Okay..15 girls have ‘em. That is tolerable, but when I am sitting on the bench at lunch and I glance into the courtyard..easily 400 girls are wearing them…minimum. UGGS are 2 years ago, number one. They are a WHORED shoe, number 2.
Who ever wears them and says: “OMG I LOVE UGGS!” needs to do society a favor and kill themselves.
May 3rd, 2008 at 3:00 amok i’ve had uggs since i was maybe three yrs old.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:49 pmi’ve lived in texas all my life and in the winter it can get down to the low 30s
and they really help.
the picture is pretty rediculous i dont think anyone wears boots on the beach but those nit one let air in and can be used in the summer.
everyone is entitled to their own opinion and some ppl hate em and some ppl LOVE them, i just dont think someone should create a whole page about it i mean come on use that time for something a lil more useful!
NO ONE CARES IF YOU HATE UGGS!
June 18th, 2008 at 11:23 amShut the fuuuck up!
Obviously, you’re jealous, becuase you can’t afford them.
I bet you wear nothing better than Uggs on your feet.
Uggs are comfortable, practical for…basically anywhere (yes, even on the beach), and VERY fashionable.
Get a life instead of making fun of something so popular.
Uggs are amazing.
I have 8 pairs.
Now how do you like that?
clothes and shoes
June 25th, 2008 at 9:36 pmare clothes and shoes
leather cloth fabric
open your f**cking mind
and debate something that actually
makes a difference in life. instead of
critizing ads critize articles by corrupt
politians or something. and on that note
im gonna go read some articles.
educate yourself. for americas sake.
Uggs are amazing shoes. And do us all a favor and never bash on something you dont own/can’t afford. No one even wanted your opinion. I own 3 pairs of Uggs.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:29 pmkay i dont like them either but seriously, you like dont have nothing better to do in your life then rant about how you hate a pair of damn shoes? seriously get a life damn it. some people like them others dont. if you dont like them then YOU DONT HAVE TO GET A PAIR. dont bitch cuz people wear them at the beach. if they wanna be retarded enough then they can do it why the fu*k would you care?
July 20th, 2008 at 6:49 pmI agree with you 100%, I can’t stand UGGs. Have Crocs reached your side of the world yet? UGGs and Crocs are the worst fashion decisions, ever. I don’t think you are a low life or wasting your time writing about these horrific fasion mistakes. This is the internet, freedom of speech and all that. It makes me laugh how personal people take it. Anyway, you have a good blog going and I enjoy reading your posts, they make me smile. Dawn x
August 9th, 2008 at 7:27 amIf you hate ugg boots then thats fine your opinion. Your not the ones wearing them so you don’t look stupid, if other people want to wear them then let them regardless to whether they look stupid or not, it has bugger all to do with you. My god do you have nothing better to than judge people on what they wear
August 12th, 2008 at 7:25 amLMAO, I’m sorry, but are these people for real? Where on Earth did they all crawl out from? Obviously not your typical audience – I can’t believe they’re so worked up over a pair of shoes, Jesus.
For the record, I like my (leather, hxc) UGGs – when it’s 35 below in St. Petersburg, I’m wearing six layers under a goose down Michelin Man coat and my eyeballs freeze inside my head. Never ever would I wear them in non-winter weather and without appropriate accompanying attire!
September 1st, 2008 at 7:48 amI totally agree.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:23 amYeah, I’m sure that this post is rather old considering the dates from the first comments, but I have to vent somewhere. Whenever I tell someone that I think Uggs are hideous they look at me as if I’ve been living under a rock.
I live in Southern California, so we have, really don’t have “weather”. In the winter it does get a little cold (I get chilly very easily) and I will always spot one girl wearing those hideous things. Okay, I can wear my flats in the winter. Why wear those things?
And whats worse is that in the summer I see people wearing them. Uhh… yeah… there are some trends that should never be followed.
Seriously.
Yes Uggs are ugly. But no they are not. When I first saw them I’m like theyre ugly. I got a pair for the cold winter and they are really comfortable. I started to think they are cute after a while but i dont know why. I just got a new pair today for the winter. I absolutly hate when people where Uggs in the SUMMER. They do not look good in string bikinis and yes surfer people may have worn them when it started grtting cold and the sand froze their feet but do not where uggs in the summer. It is a big No No.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:22 amHaha, people do get worked up over the stupidest most irrelevent things to life. Shoes. I used to hate Uggs when they first became popular. I thought they were called Uggs for a reason, UGGLY. But then, a couple of years later, now, I see them everywhere. I guess I got used to them because every girl is wearing them around school. I like them as well and I’m planning to go buy a pair of my own.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:46 pm100% agree!!!!!! uggs are soo dummm!!!!!! Im guessing everyone can guess how they got their name =] anyway good job for posting this
September 28th, 2008 at 7:25 amWow. Just wow.
“ZOMG yr just jealous you can’t affors theeem.”
How the fuck old are these bitches? 12?
Uggs are tacky, ugly and cheap looking. They are, however, useful for certain purposes. If you live in Australian, especially anywhere rural, you will notice there are HUGE FUCKING bugs and spiders that will bite you and either make you very very sick or kill you. As far as boots go, they are relatively low temp on yr feet, so (the tall ones, anyway) are good way to protect yr feet from critters in the outback.
But, street fashion? Come on people. Lets wear fucking karate belts next!
Show the masses something, tell them its “hot”, they will follow.
ANd the price? Same as any other suede/leather boot.
Now, don’t even get me started on coach purses, those are fucking ugggllly….
September 30th, 2008 at 3:17 pmu ppl r so jealous bc u cant afford them so get a job there hott.
November 1st, 2008 at 1:34 pmI wanted to make one note in favor of Uggs, aside from their practicality from cold weather and big bugs.
First, let me say that I never wanted Uggs. While I don’t consider them ugly (at least they don’t shine or sparkle or have plastic parts!!), I never thought “How cute! I want a pair!” Also, I don’t like the fact that they’re made of sheep skin.
BUT! I was given a pair as a gift a few years ago, and once I put them on, I never wanted to take them off. I have wide feet and bony heels and most shoes are uncomfortable. In fact, I have always hated wearing shoes. I live in flip-flops in summer and socks indoors in the winter. But my feet settled in so comfortably in my Uggs, that they have become my staple footwear in colder weather. When the pair I have wear out, I will probably invest in another (discounted) pair. I doubt the crochet Uggs are as warm, but I might look into those as an alternative to the sheepskin, if they’re anywhere near as comfy.
What disgusts me more than Uggs are the tweeny a**holes who get furious with someone who dislikes them. And Sarah, who has 8 pairs: I kind of hate you. Not because I’m jealous but because–8 pairs?–that’s so unnecessary. I hope you are one day mauled by sheep.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:58 pmI bought some knockoffs of these at Goodwill, (that takes care of the expense problem) and I love them. I agree with you about their summer-time misuse, but they perform great in winter, especially when I as a college student have to a) walk a lot and b) do it in the cold. Just because some people use them idiotically doesn’t mean they should be banned from the fashion world all together. No matter what article of clothing you examine there will always be some starlet abusing it. Long live Uggs. But only in winter.
January 9th, 2009 at 9:30 amUggs are fuggly. I’m in grade seven and every girl in my class has a pair! How idiotic… Who in their right mind wears uggs in summer??? I think there are pathetic, and the worst part? The sheepskin… I’m pro-animal, so how would those airheads liked getting skinned for THEIR skin/fur/scalp… For a pair of uggly, lame boots. I purchased a pair of fakes, just to make a statement, and I wrote in Sharpie ‘Bet you didn’t see this was fake!’ I still hate them though, and only wear them as a joke… By the way, they were 10 bucks… and I live in White Rock…
February 7th, 2009 at 9:34 pmOkay, so first of all, all of you 12 year olds who are all OMIGOSH!11 YOU AR SO JELOUS OF ME KUZ YOU CAN’T AFFORD UGGS! OMG! need to let go of your stepdaddy’s penis. I’m sure most of the people who commented actually CAN afford that hideous footwear, but choose not to. I mean, who over the age of 13 would? You fucktards probably think abercrombie is designer.
Uggs have become the signature piece of fugly tween girls here in Montreal. I go downtown and it’s like a fucking UGGly-fest ; ugly jeans tucked into those montrosities.
Uggs are like Crocs. I don’t care how comfortable they are, YOU LOOK LIKE A DUMBASS.
February 18th, 2009 at 3:52 pmUgg boots are made by starving African children.
Every pair of ugg boots you stupid fad chasing whores buy helps murder a child.
Put that in your cell phone and choke on it.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:02 pmif u hate em soooo much leave em alone and dont create sites like this!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 29th, 2009 at 6:32 pmThese are the ugliest fucking pieces of shit of all time. I am not usually a big fashion critic, but I have honestly never seen an attractive person wear these boots, nor have I seen someone make them look attractive.
What they look like is the inner soles from winter boots, and this “trend” is a good example of how marketing can sell utter bullshit. These boots not only look terrible but they aren’t even unique enough to be an interesting conversation point, they just look fucking retarded.
To everyone who has responded in defense or against the Ugg boots, I would beg you to read through the comments posted here. Is it not strange to anyone that every person responding in defense of the Uggs has an IQ between 50-80?
Please, do not buy these boots, and if you see someone wearing them, feel free to murder them, or at least tell them how uninspired their shitty prepackaged look is (and perhaps throw them down a conveniently located nearby staircase.)
June 5th, 2009 at 12:42 amI love my real uggs.
August 14th, 2009 at 7:40 amThe only reason these people are criticising them is because they cannot afford them.. :L
maybe it´s not the best setup for an ugg boot – but originally they started as a surfer boots and the picture lokks really nice (btw).
August 27th, 2009 at 10:18 pmi hate ugg boots but i have a pair of the ugg dakota moccissins and i love them
August 30th, 2009 at 12:19 ami dont like the boots but i like the dakotas, so im not jelious or cant afford them cuz i own birkenstalks and there pretty expensive, i just dont like the style
August 30th, 2009 at 12:24 amI DO NOT AGREE.
September 12th, 2009 at 12:08 pmI’ve read your article, and, at first: Why upseading yourself about a couple of shoes?
UGG boots were originally made for at the beach.
They were made for SURFERS.
When you’re done surfing, you get out of the (cold) water and want warm feet, then you put on your nice sheepskin boots.
Who told you they were especially for the winter?
Fashion is unstoppable.. there is nothing you can do about it,
but although, I respect your opinion which is the opposit of millions of people.
Greetings.
[...] kjøpt meg et par UGG. Jeg har ikke synes de har vært så fine og de har vært litt for sånn se-jeg-bor-i-Hollywood-og-går-i-bikini-og-UGGs-for-jeg-er-så-kul for [...]
September 21st, 2009 at 3:25 am@Sarah, You go girl! i totally agree with you.
September 27th, 2009 at 3:42 pmThey look ugly to me. Even though they came out like 5 years ago, here in Vancouver, girls who think they are popular or try to be popular would buy uggs or fuggs. I could tell the girls who own them really love them, because they would still wear them even though they get stained from the rain and mud, and the heels get all deformed and out of place. Uggs are definitely one of the worst fashion trend.
October 18th, 2009 at 12:18 amUggs were actually made in Australia for surfing. yup. summer boots.
October 18th, 2009 at 2:38 pmYou obviously don’t know anything about the brand so don’t act like you do… They do keep your feet warm in the cold and cool in the heat… that’s what sheepskin does. And as far as the ad with the girl at the beach goes: uggs originated as something that surfers could wear to keep their feet warm while on the beach if it was cooler out. The classic Uggs are designed to be lightweight so it’s easy to move around in the sand. Surprise, there’s such thing as “summer” boot.
October 19th, 2009 at 8:06 pm@ugg, I agree, people only say this crap about Uggs because they’re too poor to afford (they’re not even that expensive though with all the processing of one pair) something of this quality, comfort, and style. Stick with your knock-off’s people, because sure people won’t notice lol
November 18th, 2009 at 12:13 pm@livvy, I know if people were smart for once they would know how sheepskin/wool are one of the most breathable materials, and plus comfort. If people want to complain about ugliness and comfort at the same time, rag on Orthopedic shoes instead because we all know they probably won’t change that style for a while.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:18 pmthey arnt even made in australia. theyr mass produced in china CHECK THE LABEL FAGS. u all look rediculous with ur matching abercrombie shorts sugar lips tank top and juicy couture sweatshirt.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:14 pmand its not that we cnt afford them WE JUST HATE THEM what are they? like 80$ ? check what real fashion costs. nice leather boots? HUNDREDS of dollars. nice actual designer clothes? ud b surprised. do u know how many sheep die for ur uggs? no its not a matter of just shaving them it uses SHEEPSKIN all of u aknowledge that. and i bet you all love your northface fleeces too. those can go to hell they dont look good either
I agree mostly with what you have said, but i do have to say that UGGs were invented for the beach. They were created as after surfing boots, that’s why their ad depicts the beach. People everywhere then started using them as winter boots instead, but really the only place they were originally designed for is the beach.
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:20 amI am not stupid, nor am I 12. I own a single pair of uggs. Personally, I do not find them cute, but theyre arent ugly or disgusting either. Theyre just shoes. I chose not to wear them outside of my home, usually, because I live in LA and its never cold enough. However, sometimes around the house they come in handy because I have tile floors. Additionally, I detest the girls who wear them during the summer with the tiny little skirt. However, this does not cause me to blindly and ignorantly glue that image and those girls to the ugg name. Of course because it is sheepskin and this keeps feet cool in the heat, there will be people who abuse the shoe and wear it in ridiculous outfits. But that doesn’t mean we should hate the ugg all together because of those people. I dont think there is anything wrong with wearing them around the house or even outside when its just a really cold day(in other places obviously, its never cold here really). Basically all I am trying to say is first of all to each his own, and second, its unfair to stick the Ugg name to the people who misuse them and develop a blind hatred because of it. We should take a breather and maybe try to look at it all from a different point of view. Instead of bashing the ugg, perhaps sit down and think, “What can uggs be useful for?”. Unless youre vegetarian, than bash away. They kill sheep.
March 6th, 2010 at 1:56 pm“History of the Ugg Boot Brand
It took a person with a sense of adventure and a unique style to create today’s famous Ugg Boots. That person was Brian Smith, a young Australian surfer. In 1978, Smith began what would become the international footwear sensation by stitching sheepskin boots for surfers to slip into after coming out of the water. The boots kept the surfers’ feet warm, and enabled them to comfortably trek back to their cars over sand, stones and makeshift paths.
Smith realized that uggs had great potential beyond warming the tootsies of Australian surfers. So, he packed up his designs and came to the United States. Not finding much luck in New York City, he shifted his attention to the sunny shores of Southern California. It turned out that some U.S. surfers had already adopted the Aussie boots for keeping their feet warm. Smith had found his first market.
Today, Ugg Boots is a U.S. company that has perfected the ability to create comfortable, quality sheepskin boots that look great. The company has expanded to producing shoes and slippers, and the famous Ugg Boots can be seen on fashion runways and on the feet of Hollywood celebrities. They come in a wide variety of styles and colors, keeping feet around the world snug, comfortable and chic.”
source: http://shoes.lovetoknow.com/Ugg_Boot_History
Fact – ugg is generic name for sgeepskin boots, used for over 200 years.
March 9th, 2010 at 7:45 pmuggs are the best shoes in the world. people wear them on the beach because they are breathable you numskulls. you are just jelous because you, unlike people who are somebody cant afford these wooonderful shoes
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:06 pmum who ever is anonmosoe is a reeeetard becuase if you look at the labe in uggs they are made in china not africa by starving children so u can stick THAT in ur cell phone and suck it (what the heck who came up with that it doesnt even make any sence)
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:13 pmokay…you are probably just one of those people who cant afford UGGs and just hates them because of that. i live in texas and we all wear them in the winter…sooo yeah maybe you just have REALLY bad taste.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:08 amxoxo- Clarisse
there is MUCH uglier things than ugg boots, ugg boots compared to crocks = uggs win ofc..
ugg boots are really old shoes , they have been in australia for like 20 years. Beside I guess u cant afford them. for your information they are comfy and you can have them in the summer. -.-
March 31st, 2010 at 6:51 amit’s kind of sad how you have no life what-so-ever so you have to write an article all about something you don’t like. i could name like a million things i dont like but i keep it to myself. you probally couldn’t even afford a pair so you shouldn’t be talking. and @”kiira” they’re not $80 unless you look in the clearance, the part you probally have to shop in. all the pairs are like $150 or more
June 29th, 2010 at 7:27 pm